Black Aces pin hopes on mayor to secure venue

Homeless Mpumalanga Black Aces will meet the office of the Emalahleni executive mayor today in an urgent meeting to bid to secure a permission to utilise Atlantic Stadium.

Aces were supposed to host Amatuks in a National First Division inland stream encounter on Saturday but the game was postponed after Amazayoni failed to secure a venue.

The match will now take place at Pilditch Stadium, in Pretoria, tomorrow at 7pm - should Aces fail to secure a venue.

Amazayoni spokesman Thabo Moroape said they had secured Solomon Mahlangu Stadium in KwaMhlanga but the league ruled that the field was unplayable. He said they now pin their hopes on the office of the executive mayor to secure them Atlantic Stadium.

"We can still play the game at Atlantic Stadium if we can manage to get the venue today and inform the league in time. Just imagine, a team from Mpumalanga hosting a team from Pretoria in Pretoria. That will be an embarrassment to the municipality, government and the people of Mpumalanga," said Moroape.

He said should they fail to secure a stadium in the province, they will be forced to relocate to Gauteng for the rest of the season.

Aces were kicked out of the Emalahleni municipality- owned stadium by Mpumalanga Rugby Union (MRU), which is reported to have a 30-year pending lease agreement with the council.

Moroape also confirmed that the dispute has drawn the attention of national portfolio committee on sports and recreation and that of the Mpumalanga MEC for sports, culture and recreation Dina Pule, after writing letters to them to intervene.